When I read Grip by Kennedy Ryan last year, I used the word "important" to describe it. If I had to use one word to describe Long Shot, I would use4.5
When I read Grip by Kennedy Ryan last year, I used the word "important" to describe it. If I had to use one word to describe Long Shot, I would use the same one. This book helps give a voice to millions of people that suffer and are judged by others that have never gone through the horror they've experienced or still experience every single day.
"She is singular, obliterating every kiss that came before her, eliminating the possibility of anyone else ever tasting this good.”
August West and Iris Dupree meet in a bar before the two graduate from college. They have an instant spark followed by the conversation of a lifetime, but something prevents them from taking things further than a one time kiss. Their timing is all wrong, but they never forget the connection they felt that night.
“In my dreams I choose him, my prince, instead of the fraud. In this parallel universe, at this second-chance juncture, I turn right instead of choosing wrong… and there only there, we are together."
As time goes on, life takes them in different directions keeping them apart. Other than a few chance but memorable meetings, Iris and August have no contact. In spite of that, their feelings for one another never dissipate.
"I’ll see her again. That thread that connects us, glowing neon, it’s still there. I may not be able to see it, but I feel it. It’s still wrapped around me. Wherever Iris is, I hope it’s wrapped around her, too.”
When they finally reconnect, the pull they've always felt towards one another is too strong to deny. They momentarily give in to their feelings, and for that moment, all seems right with the world. Until that moment has passed and reality comes crashing down....
"Ours is a love that reimagines—that peels back the sky at high noon searching for the stars, collecting them like shells in a bucket. We bathe in stardust, drink from the Milky Way, and dance on the moon. We pierce the firmament, peer into infinity, and tread on time and space. There is no before. There is no after. Now gives birth to forever. This moment may die, but this love never will. Time is not a line. It’s a circle, and we, August and Iris, we stand at the center.”
Long Shot is a love story, but it's also so much more than that. Don't get me wrong, Iris and August's romance gave me all the feels, but Iris' personal journey in this novel touched me even more. Kennedy Ryan is one of those authors that doesn't just entertain you with her stories. She makes you think. She enlightens you, and sometimes, she might even change you.
I've been purposely vague with my review, because I don't want to spoil this experience for you. That's what reading this book is...an experience. It's one you won't forget, and one that hopefully WILL make you think. One that will make you look at your own prejudices and judgements and show you another perspective.
If you want to know if I recommend this book, the answer is YES. It doesn't matter if romance is your preferred genre or not. This is a book for everyone. It's a story that needs to be heard, and Kennedy did an amazing job telling it. I hope you give it a shot!
ARC generously provided for an honest review. ...more